Friday, June 23, 2006
WARREN -- Authorities are investigating a city woman, who is already facing two charges of arson, in a third house fire.
Ashley Miner, 20, of Warren, already is charged in two house fires at previous residences. Now the June 8 fire at her 467 Porter St. N.E. residence is under investigation.
Miner was charged in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday with two charges of aggravated arson tied to fires at 852 Oak St. S.W. on June 25, 2005, and at 807 McConnell Road in Warren Township on Feb. 16.
She is awaiting trial and free on $2,500 bond.
Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle said Miner admitted setting the Porter Street fire after investigators found several inconsistencies in her story. The investigators became suspicious when Miner changed her story several times about the fire's point of origin.
"Any time there are that many inconsistencies, red flags go up," Nussle said. Officials hope to have the investigation complete in a week or two, he said.
Investigators did not immediately link her with the other fires because she used her maiden name, Vogt, at the Oak Street and McConnell Road homes.
Miner has never given investigators any indication as to why she would have set any of the fires, Nussle said.